Scientific Staff Profiles

This page allows you to read information about people engaged in research at CAMH. You can search for researchers using the name or keyword search engine below.

Dr. Brian F. ODowd Co-Section Head, Molecular Pharmacology Centre for Addiction and Mental Health University of Toronto Medical Sciences Building, room 4353 1 King’s College Circle Toronto, Ontario    M5S 1A8  (416) 978-7579 brian.odowd@utoronto.ca Dr. Brian O'Dowd is a Molecular Pharmacologist and Neuroscientist and Co-Section Head of Molecular Pharmacology in the Neuroscience Department at CAMH.  He is also a Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Toronto.  Search again?
Areas of Research Over the past decade, Dr. O'Dowd's laboratory has  discovered many new G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs).  These proteins are involved in physiological functions in brain, but only a few of the total 367 GPCRs have been the targets for drug development.  They represent a substantial resource and constitute a highly relevant group of protein targets for novel drug discovery.  Dr. O'Dowd and his team have also invented an entirely novel method for the identification of drugs that activate or block these receptors. The novel strategy they employed involves the translocation of the GPCR with a specific genetic modification from the cell surface with no recycling of the protein back to the cell surface.  Interaction of the modified receptor with a drug prevents the translocation away from the cell surface and is measured as receptor retained on the cell surface.  This assay will speed the process by which new drugs can be recognized and pave the way for new generations of therapeutically active drugs, with potential medical and quality-of-life implications for all Canadians.
Publications O'Dowd BF, Alijaniaram M, Ji X, Nguyen T, Eglen R, George SR. Utilizing ligand induced conformational change to screen for compounds targeting G protein coupled receptors. Journal of Biomolecular Screening. 2007; 12:175-185. O’Dowd, B.F., Ji, X.,Alijaniaram, M., Nguyen, T., and George, S.R.  A novel drug screening assay for G-protein coupled receptors.  In:  Ligand Design for G Protein-coupled Receptors.  Mannhold, R., Kubinyi, H. and Folkers, G. (eds)  Wiley-VCH, New York, 2006, pp.51-60 Lee DK, George SR, O'Dowd BF.  Unravelling the roles of the apelin system: prospective therapeutic applications in heart failure and obesity.Trends Pharmacol Sci. 2006;27(4):190-4.  O'Dowd BF, Ji X, Alijaniaram M, Rajaram RD, Kong MMC, Rashid A, Nguyen T, George SR. Dopamine receptor oligomerization visualized in living cells. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2005;280: 37225-37235. George SR, O'Dowd BF. Editors. G Protein-Coupled Receptor-Protein Interactions. Receptor Biochemistry and Methodology Series. J. Wiley Inc. 2005. Lee DK, Lança AJ, Cheng R, Nguyen T, Ji XD, Gobeil F Jr, Chemtob S, George SR, O'Dowd BF.Agonist-independent nuclear localization of the apelin, angiotensin AT1, and bradykinin B2 receptors.J Biol Chem. 2004 ;279:7901-8.
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